Bobby's House
by Kierastarlight
Summary: Dean, Sam and Bobby himself are surprised to find that the Winchester's very next case is right inside Bobby's house.
1. Chapter 1

Hi this is my first try putting up a story here on FFN for Supernatural. Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural, obviously.

Please leave feedback if you'd like to hear more, thank you.

Not sure what the title should be so for now it's Bobby's House.

--

Bobby sat curled up in his chair at home with the new journal he had recently gotten in the mail from his friend. Well, it wasn't exactly new – in fact it was incredibly old, the pages made of parchment and folded and sewn together to make the binding, with some kind of leather for the cover. And the dust – Craig hadn't bothered to dust it off before sticking it in the bubble-wrap envelope to mail, resulting in a huge cloud that had Bobby hacking for a couple of minutes when he pulled the book out of the envelope. Bobby was no stranger to dust – he had enough old tomes all over to the house that to keep them completely dust-free would be a full-time job – but to mail the dust with the book? Sheesh.

Once he got over the dust storm, he looked wondrously at that cover. It was dyed red, and had a large engravement pressed onto the leather in what looked like some kind of gold-leaf, and the symbol was intricate. He found himself wondering what it was, because it did not look familiar, and Bobby had seen plenty of symbols in his lifetime. He traced the outline of some of it with his finger. The general shape of it was a circle, which was common for symbols. A circle represented completeness, full cycles, and balance. Important stuff for rituals.

He opened the book and was taken aback by the strange writings. It certainly wasn't in English. Craig sure didn't explain or do much when he mailed this to Bobby. Just said on the voicemail he left, "I found a really old journal that had been locked away in a secret room. Sending it to you because you are the most knowledgeable hunter I know."

Even with his background, and he had taught himself at least parts of several foreign languages, Bobby had no clue what this language was. It certainly didn't use anything close to the English alphabet. The writing was like he had never seen before, made of longish and blockish symbols. He paged through the journal carefully, since the pages were delicate. The entire thing was scripted in that bizarre writing. Why the hell did Craig mail this to him, he should have driven it over, this was like a museum piece and no doubt extremely valuable.

Bobby spent some time pouring over all the different symbols that were covering the pages along with the unusual writing. They were fascinating. All intricate, the general shape a circle, and all stuff he had never seen before. The writing and the symbols were all in a dark red, which made Bobby wonder if the ink was blood – it wouldn't be the first time.

But there was one circle that was soot-black, larger than the others, somewhat similar to the one on the cover – and Bobby thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but it seemed – indented into the page? He touched it, and sure enough, he could feel the indentation. He lifted the page and looked at the other side. The other side was flat and showed no evidence of the indentation. Bobby shook his head in puzzlement.

He was getting a headache. He closed his eyes, squinting against the pain. He opened them again, and took a sip of his tea – bourbon had sounded good tonight, but Sam and Dean had been in the neighborhood – and for them 'in the neighborhood' meant they were only a 4 hour drive away – so because they were coming and because he wanted to study this book carefully, he decided he needed his mind sharp and settled for a hot cup of tea. It was cold out anyways.

He wanted to study the symbols some more and took out a pad of paper and a pencil to see if he could draw the black one. He worked on it awhile. His headache was getting worse, though. He scrounged around for a bottle of Tylenol he kept close to his chair and took two of them. He went back to work on the symbol and was thinking of comparing it to another book of symbols that he'd been compiling on his own, when he saw headlights pulling up to the house outside. Dean and Sam must be here, he thought. Good. He closed his eyes again, because he had another sharp stab of the headache.


	2. Chapter 2

Dean and Sam went up to Bobby's front door and knocked, knowing Bobby would keep the door locked at this time of the night. There was no answer, and Dean could see the light on in Bobby's living room, so he knew he was home. It was cold out so they decided to use the hidden key to get in. Bobby wouldn't mind, and he was probably just attending to duty in the bathroom.

They walked in and called out – Bobby – we're here," but no answer. In the living room Bobby's lamp was on next to his favorite chair and his plaid blanket he liked to use on his lap was hanging over in a weird fashion – usually when Bobby got up he just threw the blanket over one of the arms, but it was laying over the seat of the chair, like it would be if Bobby were sitting there.

Sam checked upstairs and Dean checked the rest of the downstairs – nope – Bobby wasn't paying a visit to the restroom – and the Winchesters were a little concerned. Bobby's truck was still outside.

"Maybe he suddenly needed something from the salvage yard and went to get it," Sam suggested.

"At this time of the night?" Dean said.

"You have any other bright ideas?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. You wait here, I forgot something in the car." Dean stepped outside and approached the car and got into the passenger seat. What he wanted was in the glove box.

"Dean, what am I doing in your car?" The voice came from the backseat and Dean's head nearly hit the ceiling he was so startled.

He looked back and there was Bobby sitting there right in the middle of the back seat.

"Bobby! What the! You scared the Bejezus out of me!!" Dean shook his head and laughed. "Very funny, Bobby. What did you do, hide in the dark? You had us worried, you know!"

"What are you talking about Dean?" Bobby said. "All I know is that I was sitting in my chair, looking at this strange old journal and then your headlights were coming up the drive, I close my eyes for a second, and then I am here in your car."

"Oh yeah, right, Bobby, what is this, April Fools day? Quit jerking my chain. I'm not falling for it. Besides, we scoured your house looking for you for several minutes. Did you just sit here in this ice cold car waiting for us? What if I hadn't come back to the car and just waited for you to come in? You got lucky that I even came out here."

"This car isn't that ice cold you idjit – it's still warm from the heat you were blasting on your trip. And I can't account for the time lost, but to me it's like I just got here. I mean I opened my eyes from the headache, and there I was looking at you from back here. Now quit accusing me of playing a joke on you – I'm starting to wonder if you guys found me passed out in the chair, and put me in here as a joke!"

"Hell no! For one thing – Bobby – you're not that light." Dean realized Bobby looked pretty freaked out. "Let's get in the house and discuss this."

Bobby got out, looking around all over the place as if to make sure he didn't find himself suddenly in a place stranger than the back of the Impala.


	3. Chapter 3

When Dean and Bobby walked back into the house, Sam said, "Oh, good, there you are Bobby. I was almost afraid something had happened to you."

"Something DID happen to me," Bobby said.

"What happened to your chair, Bobby?" Dean interrupted. "It looks like it snowed dust over here. Or have you just been letting the dust bunnies pile up?"

"I'll let those dust bunnies pile you up – but seriously, you guys, that book that I got in the mail –" Bobby was looking around. The book wasn't in sight around his chair. He picked up the plaid blanket that lay across the chair, nothing was underneath it. Bobby started tearing apart piles of books nearby, searching underneath them. "Well crying out loud! Where in darnation is that book?"

"What book?" Sam and Dean said in unison.

Bobby finally sat down and so did the Winchester explained all about the book, the dust storm it was mailed in, the unusual symbols, how he had been drawing one of them, and then how he suddenly appeared in Dean's car.

Dean shook his head. "I don't know, Bobby, I am still waiting for some buddy of yours to jump out of the shadows and see the two of you having a big laugh at our expense."

"Will you stop it? I am not making this up! And this book is some serious business if it can make me disappear and re-appear, and disappear itself."

"It's like a teleporting spell," Sam said in awe.

"Is the paper you were writing on still around?" Dean asked.

Bobby looked and the symbol he had been drawing was on the floor next to the arm of the chair. He pulled it up and showed it to the boys.

"Wow, Bobby, you've got some skill," Sam said. "I don't think I could have drawn such an elaborate symbol so well, and so – symmetrically."

Bobby was staring at the paper with a dumb-founded look on his face. "I didn't! I mean I drew it, but it was flawed, and I thought I hadn't completely finished it yet, but this looks like it's all there. I just thought of something – I am going to check the back seat for that book – maybe it followed me – watch me you guys, cause I don't want to disappear again!"

Sam and Dean watched Bobby go to the back seat of the Impala and come back out with a red book in his hands.

"This is it, guys." Bobby sat back down, on the couch, though, so each Winchester could sit on each side of him and look closely at the book.

Bobby showed them the odd writing and explained how he'd never seen that kind of script before. Then he showed them the symbol that looked and felt indented into the paper, but only on one side.

Sam reached out to touch the page – and felt what Bobby was talking about. "Weird!" he said, but only a moment later, Sam was gone, right before Bobby and Dean's eyes – and the paper with the symbol that was in his hands fluttered to the ground.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 Bobby's House**

Dean looked about wildly. "Sam! Where the hell is he? Dammit!"

Bobby looked down at his hands. "The book is gone too. Cryin' out loud. This is ridiculous."

"Well, at least I believe you now Bobby, since I saw him disappear with my own eyes!" Dean was ready to bolt out the door to see if Sam was in the car, when his cell rang. Dean caught his breath, closed his eyes, and hoped with all his heart that it was Sam and that he was okay.

His face flooded with relief when he saw Sam's name on the caller ID. "Sam!" Dean said as he answered the phone. "Where are you?"

"Holy hell that was weird! I'm in that diner we ate at tonight – the one that's about an hour's drive from Bobby's? Cause I was thinking of how much I liked their chicken right before I disappeared. Luckily, no one saw me pop in out of nowhere, it's pretty quiet here at this time of the night."

"Well, I'm really glad you weren't thinking of your one night stand from last month, cause we'da had to drive 5 states over to get you!"

"Yeah, me too."

"Does he have the book?" Bobby asked.

Dean asked him, and Sam confirmed that yes the book was in his hands as he appeared at the diner.

"Don't open it, don't do anything with it till we're together!" Bobby said.

Bobby and Dean hurried out to the Impala, leaving the drawn symbol exactly where it lay on the floor. They didn't want to take any chances.

A half hour down the road, Dean received a phone call. "Sam? Something wrong?"

"Uh, well, actually Dean, I couldn't help myself, I tried touching that indented symbol again and thought of Bobby's house, and now I'm back here, so could you turn around?"

"What? We told you not to open that book, Sammy! Okay sit tight, I am turning around."

"I wonder how he did that without the drawn symbol," Bobby reflected.

Another half hour later, they were back at Bobby's house. Sam was nowhere in sight, and they scoured the house top to bottom before Dean speed-dialed his number on his cell.

"Sam! Where are you now! This is getting ridiculous!"

"This was already ridiculous," Bobby commented.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked. "I'm still here at the diner waiting for you. It's been an hour, shouldn't you be here by now?"

"The diner? You just called a half hour ago and said you were at Bobby's!"

"No I didn't!"

Dean looked at Bobby. "Then who the hell was that? Someone or something with your caller ID and voice called us a half hour ago. Said you opened the book and used it to get back to Bobby's."

"Oh my God. Well, I haven't touched the book other than it was already in my hands as I set it down on the table here. I'm just sitting here waiting for you guys, having a cup of coffee. Great. This means I have to wait another hour for you to show up!"

Dean and Bobby double checked Sam's location by tracking the cell on Bobby's laptop before taking off. He was definitely an hour's drive away. Dean insisted Sam stay on the phone with him the whole drive over so he didn't lose track of him. They all discussed what could possibly be going on. The best idea they could come up with was that it was another Trickster.

"Yeah, well if this is a Trickster, I'm ripping him a new one when I find him," Dean said.

"I'm ripping him a new one even if he's not a Trickster," Bobby said.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 Bobby's House**

Dean kept glancing over to the passenger seat after they left the diner.

"Dean, I'm not going to disappear!" Sam told him after Dean had given him so many repetitive glances that he was barely looking at the road.

"And you know this, how? You're the one who disappeared. You should be worried that in a flash you'll be somewhere else."

"After spending two hours in that boring diner not going anywhere, I doubt it," Sam said. "Besides, you threw the book in the trunk. I bet I can't disappear without touching it. Bobby, did you disappear when you touched the indented symbol in the book?"

"No, actually, I had touched it and then started drawing the symbol. I wasn't done either, like I told you. Then you guys showed up. I remember I was getting a headache before it happened. Did you get a headache too?"

"Uh, no, I didn't. Did you get your headache again later without disappearing?"

"No, I didn't. Huh. But I did get a headache as soon as I touched the indented symbol."

"So, so far we know that touching the indented symbol in the book along with a drawing of it makes someone go somewhere else. Cause it happened to Bobby and I. Not only that, I was holding the drawn symbol in my hand. Bobby was too when he disappeared. I wonder if it's that simple, you touch the two forms of the symbol, and you can teleport to wherever you are thinking of? Think of the gas money and time we could save! And to get into places without having to pick locks or break down doors."

"No way, Sam," Dean said. "Don't be ridiculous. First of all we need our stuff with us. Second of all, I'm not leaving my baby behind, no way, no how. Third, what if you start thinking of something stupid in the middle of teleporting, and next thing you know you're at the KFC in Indiana that we ate at 5 months ago while I end up where we were supposed to."

"Oh God, Dean, like I'm the only one who would think of something stupid while teleporting. Knowing you, you'd be back at that bar in Tennessee where –"

"Dean's got a point," Bobby interrupted. "This thing is too dangerous to just use and not practical. For one thing, there's something out there out to get us, cause it fooled Dean and I into turning back around. And second, you notice how the book goes with you, but the symbol stays exactly where you were? I guess you could draw a new one, or have extras in your pocket or something, but if you ask me we don't know enough about what this is to be playing around with it."

"Yeah, I know Bobby. I just thought it was sorta cool that I teleported and couldn't help but think of the advantages."

"They are tempting, aren't they," Bobby said. "I don't think I've ever heard of a teleport spell before. For demons maybe, but for humans? I wonder what purpose it ultimately holds. Well, let's ponder on it tomorrow after we've gotten some rest. This is an ungodly hour of the night, even for me."

--

The next morning, after breakfast, the first thing Bobby wanted to do was call up Craig and get more info about that book – such as what kind of room was it locked in, was in locked in a box (probably not with all that dust that covered it), and whatever else that could possibly help them understand what was going on. It was rather cryptic of Craig to leave a brief message and nothing else.

"What do you mean?" Craig asked when Bobby asked him about the book.

"You know, the book you mailed me. Covered in dust, I might add."

Craig started laughing. "I sent you a book, covered in dust? Where did you get this idea?"

Bobby explained everything to him, down to the phone call with Craig's caller ID, Craig's voice, and an envelope that was postmarked from Craig's hometown of Pierre, South Dakota, with what looked like Craig's handwriting.

"You're kidding me."

"No, I'm not." Bobby explained a little more, and then got off the phone. "Well, if this doesn't paint an even prettier picture. We're really being had by something. And we have no idea now where this damn book came from either."

"Maybe demons are trying to get a rise out of us, and that's all it is. We should just salt and burn the damn thing and forget it," Dean said.

Bobby confessed that his curiosity was killing him. The unknown language was intriguing, and the symbols could end up meaning something important. He was hesitant to destroy the book. Bobby ate up new and unusual facts like a gourmet dinner.

"Yeah, and if I turn on Dr. Phil this afternoon, I could get a revelation that I would have otherwise missed! Come on, Bobby! Someone's having a joke on us and I say we nip this in the bud. Besides, I don't want Sam disappearing on me again. He could end up God knows where next time."

"Dammit, Dean, I'm not your baby. I'm a grown man and I'll survive if I get teleported again. If you got your way, in our next life we'd be Siamese twins and then we'd never have to be separated."

"Well if that is the way you show your gratitude for my concern, then you can stick it where the sun don't shine. I'm going out to the trunk and burning that blasted book to kingdom come. Just try and stop me."

Bobby and Sam looked at each other. Then back at Dean who was already rushing out the door. "Dean!" they both said in unison. Then they bolted out the door after him. Dean was already pulling the book out of the trunk. But before he could slam the trunk door, Dean and the book were gone in the blink of an eye.

"Damn!" Sam shouted. "He doesn't have his cell phone with him, dammit! He just plugged it in to charge it. Now how are we going to find him? Knowing Dean, he could be anywhere."

"He'll probably call from a pay phone," Bobby said.

Sam was already kicking himself inwardly. He was regretting what he'd said to Dean. Now that the tables were turned, and he didn't know where Dean was, fear was gnawing at him in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't any fun being on the worrying end.


	6. Chapter 6

Bobby's House Chapter 6

Back in the house, Sam said, "I don't get it. He didn't open the book and touch the indented symbol. He wasn't touching the drawn symbol either."

"Yeah, but he could have touched the engraving on the cover. That's indented. And this drawing is still on the floor. He may have stepped on it, before going out."

Bobby and Sam both decided research was the best option for the time being. Bobby looked through his compilation of symbols, Sam researched on the internet.

Bobby found a symbol after awhile that reminded him of the one that was making them teleport.

"What's similar," Bobby said, "Is that this symbol and the other one both have 3 circles inside that interlap, with the same symbol in the middle." He walked over and showed it to Sam. Then they both looked at the symbol on the paper that lay on the table.

"Look," Sam said, careful not to actually touch the paper drawing. "It looks as if the inner symbol points to the three inner circles to different degrees. This one gets close enough to actually touch the circle. Then going clockwise, the next one is doesn't quite touch the circle it points at, and then the last one is even shorter. In your symbol journal, the symbol has the three points of the inner symbol the same length and not touching the three circles at all."

Bobby wasn't sure what that meant. He sat back down with his journal and studied for awhile.

"I am thinking that the three different circles represent different degrees of what it is intended to do," Sam said. "For instance, for you to teleport, you had to draw the indented symbol, at least partially, maybe you had already drawn the most important parts and the spell filled in the blanks. And then you had to touch the indented symbol also. You did that first. We don't know yet if order is important. Then I touched the two symbols, the one on the page and the one on the paper. I didn't have to draw it like you did. Then, finally, Dean just steps on the paper on the floor, and only touches the symbol on the outside of the book. So he had to do the least to teleport. Also I am wondering if this means now that three of us have teleported, that part of the spell is over."

"You may have something there," Bobby said. "Good job. We should think about everything that has happened so far and see what else we can figure out. You know one thing I was thinking about, I think I lost some time when I teleported, but you didn't, because you called Dean immediately after you left. Or did you wait? To us it was immediately."

"No, I called right away."

"Then I wonder what happened with Dean? I guess we won't know till he calls us."

"Speaking of that, I'm pretty worried. It's been a little while and he hasn't called."

"I know Sam, me too. Maybe he's just a long walk from a payphone."

"That doesn't make me feel any better, Bobby. For all we know, he could have shown up in the middle of Antarctica."

"But why would he be thinking of Antarctica?"

"Cause its cold outside, and he could have been comparing it to Antarctica."

Bobby waved his hand. "Dean's tough. He probably didn't care about the cold. Please don't get yourself into a tizzy about it right now. You're brother's gonna be okay. You were. I was."

"That reminds me, Bobby, what were you thinking about when you teleported into our car?

"I had seen the headlights coming up and I all I thought about was that I was glad that you guys were here. I was eager to talk to you both about the book."

"And I was thinking about the dinner I had and enjoyed. I wonder if the thought has to be about something we liked? That would make me feel better if I knew Dean couldn't pop up somewhere terrible."

"Just think like that then for now," Bobby said. "I can't help but wonder if he's burning the book."

"At this point I would just be glad if it was over," Sam said.

"Me too," Bobby said.

They both went back to researching, and writing down every possible thing they could think of. Later on when Sam was starting to get really antsy, his cell phone rang.

He nearly jumped out of skin with hope when he heard that ring. He picked it up and saw the caller ID was Dean. His initial, one second reaction was relief. Until he remembered Dean didn't have his cell phone with him. It was right there in the living room.

"Oh no, Bobby, it says it's Dean, but it can't be, cause Dean's phone is here! What should I do? Should I answer? Act like I don't know anything? Or confront it?"

"Play it by ear. Ask where Dean is, pretend you think it's him. Whatever this is does not know that Dean's phone is here. After that, maybe confront it."

Sam picked up on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Sammy, it took you long enough to answer that. I would have thought you'd been jumping at the phone to discover where I was."

Sam had to swallow and take a breath. This sounded so much like Dean it was unreal. "I had to find my phone. Where the hell are you, and why did it take hours for you to call?"

"You know that remote little town in Nebraska where we did that routine salt and burn? I ended up there. Remember how the place got lousy signal for cells? I had to hitch a ride to a bigger city."

"Why didn't you use a payphone?"

"I didn't have the quarters for that! In fact my wallet must still be on the table at Bobby's. It sucks not having any money. I'm hungry."

Sam looked around. Sure enough, Dean's wallet was still on the table, next to the couch, where Dean had slept for the night. So whatever this is, knew Dean left his wallet behind, but not his phone. Why?

"Yeah, your wallet's here and that does suck."

"Well, can you and Bobby wire me some money, and then come get me?"

Crap, Sam thought. "Let me talk to Bobby about this." He covered up the phone. Dean's voice was saying, "What do you mean you have to talk to Bobby? Are you going to help me or not?" Sam told Bobby what 'Dean' had said. Then, "There's no way we're wiring that money or going there if Dean's not really there!"

"I agree. Confront the bastard."

"Okay, whoever you are," Sam said, "Where is Dean and what did you do to him? I know this isn't Dean because his cell phone is right here in this room."

Click. "They hung up," Sam said. "Dammit! Now I will be wondering if Dean really is in that remote town in Nebraska. And now that I know he doesn't even have his wallet I am really worried about him."

"Yeah, I know. Poor Dean. You know, I might be able to conjure up a locating spell, find out where he is. We've waited long enough for his call. Let me dig around and see what I can find." Bobby started ruffling through some books.


End file.
